Setup and Rule Diagrams

[Jeremy Press]

Setup and Rule Diagram Explanation

This is a Basic Linear, Mapping game.

Screen Shot 2019-11-25 at 2.57.55 PM.png

A couple of additional things to keep in mind:

1. Since all other computers have to receive the virus from another computer, the only computers that can receive the virus first (and start the mapping chain off) are T and U. The computer that receives the virus from S also has to be T or U, because none of the other computers (R, Q, or P) are able to receive the virus from S.

2. The computer that transmits the virus to R and S could be the first computer to receive the virus. OR, the computer that receives the virus first could transmit it to one other computer, which then transmits it to R and S. Those are the only two ways the chain can "begin." From there, it becomes much easier to nail down options.

This explanation is still in progress. Please post any questions below!

[lathlee]

I know this is linear/mapping game just making sure based on 2016 LSAT logic game book, is this spatial Mapping type? Also, why did you name MAPPING? what does the name symobolize?

[nicholaspavic]

Hi lathlee,

We actually called this a "Linear/Mapping" game.

https://blog.powerscore.com/lsat/compre ... d-oddballs

We do have a categorization for Mapping games in our Logic Games, but they are very rare. As we note in the LGB and in our courses, they appeared several times in the 1990s, but then disappeared. Most "Mapping" games since then have been Grouping games in disguise, except for this one which is properly characterized as Mapping hybrid. The key to Mapping games like this one is identifying the entry point of the virus which is critical, and from there the possible outcomes are limited.

Thanks for the great question and I hope this helps!

[cmorris32]

Hi PowerScore!

Ok so I actually really love doing logic games, but this one... no. I watched the PowerScore videos on YouTube about this game and read the above questions/answers, and this game is just really difficult for me to grasp.

I got 2 out of the 6 questions correct when I took the September 2016 timed practice test, and then after looking at this game again, my first instinct was to set it up kind of like an Advanced Linear game. I attached my set up. I was able to answer the questions with this setup, but it took a very long time. I tried some other setups and I still cannot completely grasp the set up of this game. Would the way I set it up be a good strategy, or would you recommend doing a set up that is more abstract?

Thank you!
Caroline

[Adam Tyson]

Hi Caroline, sorry for the delay. I looked over your setup and found it very confusing and not very helpful, and I think you probably feel the same given that it took you so long to get through the questions even after you already had some experience with it. It doesn't account for the order of events, and order is a key component in this game.

I think the best way to think of this game is not as an Advanced Linear game but as more of a Pure Sequencing game. Some computer has to be first - that is the one computer that gets the virus from outside the network. It then passes it to either one or two others, who then pass it to one or two others, until the entire network is infected. So you should ask yourself some typical Pure Sequencing questions, like "what could go first (the one that gets it from outside the network, the first computer in the chain)". The first one cannot be R or S, because they both get it from another computer in the network. It cannot be P, because P must get it from T or U. It cannot be Q, because Q gets it from R or T. That leaves only T or U to go first, and so one of those two has to be the first computer in the chain.

Another standard question you should ask yourself in any Pure Sequencing game is "what could go last?" Here we don't exactly have a "last" necessarily, because many computers could get the virus simultaneously along various branches, but we do have two rules about S that bear watching. S gets it from another computer, and gives it to exactly one computer. That means S cannot be last, but maybe what comes after it could be? What could be the one to which S gives the virus? Not P or Q, because S is not an option for giving it to either of those. Not R, because R and S both get it from the same computer. That leaves only T or U, the same pair that are the only ones that can be first in the chain! So that means that one of T or U goes first in the sequence, and the other one goes after S. That branch could end there, or T or U could pass it along to something else. From there, the other pieces can be plugged into the sequence in a variety of ways, and you can play with them a bit if you like (a template approach, perhaps) or just head to the questions knowing that you have those components to deal with.

Focus on the sequence. There are many possibilities, but order is still an important element that governs this game.

[cmorris32]

Hi Caroline, sorry for the delay. I looked over your setup and found it very confusing and not very helpful, and I think you probably feel the same given that it took you so long to get through the questions even after you already had some experience with it. It doesn't account for the order of events, and order is a key component in this game.

I think the best way to think of this game is not as an Advanced Linear game but as more of a Pure Sequencing game. Some computer has to be first - that is the one computer that gets the virus from outside the network. It then passes it to either one or two others, who then pass it to one or two others, until the entire network is infected. So you should ask yourself some typical Pure Sequencing questions, like "what could go first (the one that gets it from outside the network, the first computer in the chain)". The first one cannot be R or S, because they both get it from another computer in the network. It cannot be P, because P must get it from T or U. It cannot be Q, because Q gets it from R or T. That leaves only T or U to go first, and so one of those two has to be the first computer in the chain.

Another standard question you should ask yourself in any Pure Sequencing game is "what could go last?" Here we don't exactly have a "last" necessarily, because many computers could get the virus simultaneously along various branches, but we do have two rules about S that bear watching. S gets it from another computer, and gives it to exactly one computer. That means S cannot be last, but maybe what comes after it could be? What could be the one to which S gives the virus? Not P or Q, because S is not an option for giving it to either of those. Not R, because R and S both get it from the same computer. That leaves only T or U, the same pair that are the only ones that can be first in the chain! So that means that one of T or U goes first in the sequence, and the other one goes after S. That branch could end there, or T or U could pass it along to something else. From there, the other pieces can be plugged into the sequence in a variety of ways, and you can play with them a bit if you like (a template approach, perhaps) or just head to the questions knowing that you have those components to deal with.

Focus on the sequence. There are many possibilities, but order is still an important element that governs this game.

Thank you Adam! (And thank you for answering so many of my questions lately!) That totally makes sense - I'm going to go through this game again, diagramming more in a Pure Sequencing sense. This was a difficult game but I think I will get it eventually!!

[gwlsathelp]

Hello! The video was taken down for copyright concerns and nothing was put up in its place to help clarify how one would set it up. Does someone have the video to send to me or can someone post a walk-through? Thank you.

[Stephanie Oswalt]

Hello! The video was taken down for copyright concerns and nothing was put up in its place to help clarify how one would set it up. Does someone have the video to send to me or can someone post a walk-through? Thank you.

Hi gwlsathelp,

Thanks for the post! Unfortunately, due to changes in LSAC licensing restrictions, LSAC required that we take down those video explanations, and they can no longer be shared. :/

However, I've moved Jeremy's diagram explanation to the top of this post. Please review that and let us know if you have any specific questions! Thanks!

[momgoingbacktoschool]

Hello! The video was taken down for copyright concerns and nothing was put up in its place to help clarify how one would set it up. Does someone have the video to send to me or can someone post a walk-through? Thank you.

Hi gwlsathelp,

Thanks for the post! Unfortunately, due to changes in LSAC licensing restrictions, LSAC required that we take down those video explanations, and they can no longer be shared. :/

However, I've moved Jeremy's diagram explanation to the top of this post. Please review that and let us know if you have any specific questions! Thanks!

I don't understand how Jeremy got his second inference about T/U giving it to another computer and then after that computer then giving it to S and R. I can only see T/U going to S and R?

[Jeremy Press]

Hi mom,

Here's just one option for how that's possible (although there are others, all of which involve S passing the virus to a computer, which subsequently passes the virus to another computer):

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